First registrations (PG1)
Guidance for conveyancers on how to register unregistered estates in land for the first time (practice guide 1).
Applies to England and Wales
Documents
Details
This guide deals with the procedure to be followed when applying for first registration of unregistered estates in land. It does not deal with the effects of registration or the characteristics of the various classes of title with which land may be registered.
Conveyancers can no longer lodge certified copy deeds and documents instead of originals. See section 4.4.4.1 for full details.
We only provide factual information and impartial advice about our procedures. Read more about the advice we give.
Returning original documents and deeds
HM Land Registry scans original documents and deeds when this is possible. Where they are scanned we will return them before we complete the case. In some rare instances we may ask you to send the original deeds and documents back to us for quality assurance purposes.
When we complete the case, we will send the official copy of the title plan and register through the portal wherever possible. If you do not have access to the portal you will receive the title plan and register by post.
Feedback for returning original documents
Fill in our feedback form to let us know your views on returning original documents and deeds lodged with first registration applications.
Webinars
You can join our free webinars for advice on a range of land registration topics and how to prepare quality applications.
Updates to this page
Published 13 October 2003Last updated 23 December 2024 + show all updates
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Section 4.3.4.3 has been amended to include a link to section 12 of practice guide 26: leases – determination. We have amended section 5.1 to include information about our normal treatment of highway land on first registration.
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Section 4.4.4.1 has been amended to refer to the withdrawal of Direction 3 on 1 October 2024 which related to applications made up entirely of certified copy deeds and documents.
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Section 4.3.7 has been amended to reflect that we will only acknowledge receipt of the application if you provide us with an email address.
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Section 5.4 has been amended to reflect a change to our practice regarding the evidence we require for first registrations based on assents.
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Section 4.1 has been amended to clarify our practice on how to apply for first registration when the estate owner has died.
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Section 5.8 has been updated as where an application for first registration is not based upon a disposition for value, we may, without further reference to you, make an entry relating to inheritance tax if you do not provide the appropriate evidence that it has been paid.
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Sections 4.2 and 4.3.6 have been amended to refer to changes made to form FR1 by the Land Registration (Amendment) Rules 2022 which came into force on 1 August 2022.
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Section 4.6 has been amended. From 4 April we will be scanning first registration applications when we receive them. We will then process these applications electronically.
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Section 4.4.4.1 has been amended to confirm that, when submitting a first registration application on the basis of copy deeds only, any identity form can be either an original or a certified copy.
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Section 4.4.5 has been amended to clarify the Land Charges searches required on first registration.
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Section 4.4.4 has been amended to include a link to a form for the deposit of title deeds.
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Section 8.1 has been amended as a result of changes to unitary authority areas that came into effect on 1 April 2021.
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We have added information about the order in which we will scan applications from Monday 14 June.
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Sections 4.4.4 and 4.6 have been amended to mention that from 14 June 2021 HM Land Registry will scan some first registration applications to enable electronic processing of these applications. Where applications are scanned the deeds and documents lodged with an application will be returned after scanning to the customer.
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From 14 June 2021 we will scan original documents and deeds and return them before we complete the case.
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Section 4.4.4.1 has been amended to clarify existing practice.
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Section 4.4.3 has been amended to reflect current practice.
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Section 4.4.4.1 has been amended to confirm that where an application is made on the basis of certified copy deeds and documents only, we still require form FR1, form DL and any identity forms to be originals.
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Section 4.6 has been amended to reflect how paper applications are sent to us.
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Section 8.1 has been amended as a result of changes to unitary authority areas coming into effect on 1 April 2019.
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Sections 4.3.3, 4.3.5 and 4.3.12 have been amended as a result of a review of our rejection criteria on applications for first registration.
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Section 4.4.4.1 has been amended to provide further clarification as to who may sign the separate additional certification required when an application is made on the basis of certified copy deeds and documents only.
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Sections 4.4.6 has been updated following the revocation of rule 111A by The Land Registration (Amendment) Rules 2018 coming into force on 6 April 2018. Updates have also been made to sections 4.4.3 and 4.4.4 on the amendment of rule 203 of the Land Registration Rules 2003. Section 4.4.11 has been updated to reflect the introduction of Land Transaction Tax for transactions affecting land in Wales completed on or after 1 April 2018. Section 4.4.11.1 has also been updated to reflect section 127(11) of the Finance Act 2016, which removed the Stamp Duty Land Tax requirement relating to annual rent for leases granted for a term of 7 years or more on or after 1 April 2016.
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Section 9 has been amended to give a reminder of our requirements where you are lodging copy deeds with your application.
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Section 4.4.4 has been amended as conveyancers can now lodge first registration applications without sending us original deeds and documents.
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Link to the advice we offer added.
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Section 4.4.4 has been amended to clarify that copy deeds sent to us will be scanned and destroyed.
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Added translation